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Wednesday, 6 January 2016

4pt SAGA Welsh vs Anglo-Danes

Our first wargame of 2016, and my recently-completed Welsh were to face off against Charlie's Anglo-Danes.
I chose five and my opponent chose one, resulting in three terrain pieces. We chose a hill, a wood and a stone circle.

Some fairly poor placement led to me taking advantage of Charlie's hill choice, and him exploiting my stone circle, but I think the wood was key.

Table set up, and first warlord placement.

I set up behind the wood on the hill, placing my Bonnedig levy slingers around my warlord. The Warriors flanked him, whilst Hearthguard took a commanding position on the long ridge. The Anglo-Danes split their forces with each flank taking Hearthguard and Warriors - his left flank was the stronger as it contained both warlord and Dane axes.

Welsh left flank

Welsh right flank

The Dane forces began the attack, pushing forward on both flanks, which the welsh countered with 'children of the land' stealth slingers from their new position inside the wood. First blood to the Welsh! (You may have noticed that this is not an impartial report. :))

Battle is joined

On the right flank there was some hit and run javelin action, at which the Hearthguard and warriors retreated, one warrior short. In the centre, the warriors and warlord pushed into the wood, only to be foiled by a well-timed Holy Ground. The slingers quickly retreated up the hill, aided by children of the land. On the left flank, however, the Dane axes carved into my warriors, whose retort was a favourable two kills. Four vs two would normally be good odds, but I was fortunate to retreat the last man and let the slingers polish off the last Dane Axeman.

Dane Axes and suicidal Teulu

The heroic and foolish Teulu Hearthguard got some javelin fire into the enemy warlord's warrior unit, now two short, but their resulting counterattack wiped them out to a man.

My left flank was at somewhat of an impasse.

A slow advance, and my single man unit keeps me in dice.

Slingers ready for the warrior unit to poke their faces out of the woods.

Game over, man, game over.

And after a final charge, javelins and retreat from my fatigued Priodaur, which gave me two kills on his Hearthguard, the game was over. No Warlords even remotely killed. Points gave me the victory, but I think the hill contributed to that significantly.

On the whole, I enjoyed it. It's a lot more difficult than it looks to optimise your dice rolls. Although I'm sure we missed some things and got others wrong, it's always nice to play a wargame with fully painted forces on pretty terrain. Thanks to my gallant foe Charlie for a good game.